Movable platform



Jail. 22, 1929. 1,699,544-

J. M. ROHLFING MOVABLE PLATFORM a Law may;

ATTORNEY Jan. 22, 1929.

ATTORNEY JJA; 465241,;

'11 Sheets-Sheet 3 J. M; ROHLFING MOVABLE PLATFORM Filed Dec. 15, 1923 Jan. 22, 1929. 1,699,544

J. M. ROHLFING MOVABLE PLATFORM Filed Dec. 15. 19.23 11 Sheets-Sheet 4 IN VEN TOR A TTORNE Y J. M. ROHLFING MOVABLE PLATFORM Jan. 22, I929.

Jan. 22, 1929 J. M. ROHLFING MOVABLE PLATFORM Filed D80. 15, 1925 ll Sheets-Sheet 7 INVENTOR JJAH ,mwflj ATTORNEY Jan. 22, 1929.

J. M. ROHLFING MOVABLE PLATFORM Filed Dec. 15, 1923 11 Sheets-Sheet 8 s a ma 5 f 0 E flio V 0 x WQ x 1 J0 5 .y 5 B j 4 w 2 a W A TTORNE Y 1,699,544 J. M. ROHLFING MOVABLE PLATFORM Filed Dec. 15, 1925 ll Sheets-Sheet 8 11v VENTOR ATTORNEY Jan. 22, 1929.

fJ fin/lffo J. M. ROHLFING MOVABLE PLATFORM Filed D60. 15, 1923 Jan. 22,1929;

. .11 Sheets-Sheet l0 INVENTOR A TTORN E Y Patented Jan. 22, 1929.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN M. ROHLFING, OF PLAINFIELD, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO AMERICAN CAR AND FOUNDRY COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

MOVABLE PLATFORM.

Application filed December 15, 1823. Serial- No. 680,880.

Reference is had to the accompanyingdrawings which illustrate the preferred form of the invention; though it is to'be understood that the invention is not limited to the exact details of construction shown and described,

as it is obvious that various modifications thereof within the scpipe of the claims will ocour to persons skille in the art.

In said drawings:

v Fig. 1 is a broken end'elevation of a carriage and an elevator forsupportin a latform constructed in accordance wit the invention;

Fig. 2 is an elevation of the structure shown 5 in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an elevation on a larger scale of the lower portion of the structure shown in Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrow 3 shown in Fig. 1; 4 A b Fig. 4 is a horizontal section taken on the line 44 of Fig. 2, looking'in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 5 is a vertical section taken onthe line 5--5 of Fig. 3, looking in the direction of the arrows; I I

Fig. 6 is a vertical section taken on the line 6-6 of Fig. 4, looking in the direction of the arrows; v Fig. 7 is a view in elevation, partly broken away, showingthe manner of securing the counterweights to the elevator;

Fig. 8 is a view in elevation similar to and taken at right angles to the view of Fig. 7;

Fig. 9 is a section, drawn toa larger scale and taken on the line 99 of Fig.2;

Fig. 10 is a section taken on the line 10-10 of Fig. 8;

Fig. 11 is apartial end elevation of the carriage and elevator with a riveting platform carried thereby, the rivet heater car side and post of the building frame being indicated by broken lines to show the relative positions thereof; a

Fig. 12 is anelevation'of the structure shown in Fig. 11, looking from the riveting platform side, parts being broken away to show other parts more clearly;

Fig. 13 is a section taken on the line 13'-13 of Fig. 11 and showing the riveting platform in plan view; I v

'Fig. 14 is a partial elevation of the carriage and elevator having a platform equipped with a reaming device carried thereby, the reaming tool being omitted from this view;

Fig. 15 is an end elevation of the structure in performing work of different kinds. It is also an object of this invention to provide an improved means for automatically checking the descent of the elevator in the event of the parting of "the elevator supporting cables or upon the sudden o eration of the elevator motor to lower the e evator. It is also an obect of this invention to provide each of the platforms which may be attached to the ele vator-with controlling means for the carriage and elevator operating motors, the controlling means being designed to meet the requirements of each platform.

As shown in the drawings this invention comprises a carriage or bridge 1' adapted to carry an elevator or hoist 2 to which' latforms suited for different classes of wor are adapted to be interchangeabl secured. The carriage 1 comprises a truck aving a frame 3 composed of separate spaced top and bottom members 4 and 5, respectively, which are joined or connected at intermediate oints by vertical members 6, and areunite at their ends to form channel-shaped portions or structures 7 in which are journaled the axles 8 having thereon wheels 9 which are adapted to travel upon track 10. The bottom member 5 is formed with a seat 11 to which is secured a motor 12 driving'through reduction gearing a shaft 13 upon which is mounted a pinion'la which meshes with the pinion 15 iournaled upon a stub axle 16 mounted in a bracket 17 carried by the bottom member 5. The pinion 15 also meshes with a pinion 18 keyed upon a shaft 19 journaled in bearings 20 secured to the vertical members 6 of the frame 3. The ends of the shaft 19 are journaled in bearings formed in brackets 21 secured to the end portions 7 of the frame and have keyed thereon pinions 22 which mesh with gears 23. keyed upon the axles 8. Top and bottom cover plates 24 and 25, respectively, are secured to the brackets 21 and are 119 joined b the front plates 26, the plates and the brac ets forming casings which enclose the gears, protecting the gears from dirt and servlng to retain the lubricant therefor. The

inions 14, 15 and 18 are protected b a casmg comprising a member 27 secure to the top and bottom members 4 and 5, respec- I shaped end portions I mounted in brackets 35 and 36, respectively,

secured to the frame serve to remove small obstructions from the track 10.

Resting on and'secured to the end portions 7 by gusset plates 40 are vertical gui e membersor elevator ways 41 formed of I-beams having their flanges parallel with the axis of the truck and having their upper ends connected by channel members 42. Secured to the channel members 42 and guide members 41 are brackets 43 and 44 in which are mounted stub-axles 45 adapted to receive rollers 46 which engage upon o posite sides of the I-beam guide member 47 w ich guides and supports the upper end of the carriage frame. Secured to the channels 42' is a bracket 48 in which are mounted, but insulated therefrom, the current collectors 49 and 50 which engage conductors, (not shown) which serve as a source of power for the motors used to operate the device.

Mounted for reciprocation in the guides 41 is the elevator or hoist 2 which comprises a structurall complete frame including a rectangular oor frame composed of angles 51 united at their ends by gusset plates 52, and vertical members'composed of a plate 53 and angles 54 and 55 spaced from each other and lying on opposite sides of the guides 41. The lower ends of the vertical members are secured to the floor frame, and their upper ends areconnected by the channels. 56 and 57 which are secured to the plates'53 by angle pieces 58. Mountedupon the channels 56 and 57 is. a bracket 59 in which is mounted a hoisting device comprising a motor 60 which operates a drum 61 about which are wound the cables 62 which pass over sheaves 63 carried by brackets 64 secured to the channel members 42 and are connected to the casing 65 of the hoisting device. The casing 65 is providedwith a portion 66 in which is placed the usual automatic electrically operated brake used with this type of hoist. To guide the elevator .in its movement in the guides 41 the angles 54 and 55 are provided'with openings through which project rollers 67 mounted in brackets 68 secured to -the angles 54 and 55, the rollers engaging the outer surfaces of the flanges of the I-beams forming the vertical 'uide members 41. The plate 53 72 which pass between the channels and en-' gage plates: 7 3 inengagement with the botvtom flanges of the channels. Each bracket 71 is provided with a portion 74 which projects into the opening between the flanges of a guide member 41 and is provided wlth surfaces 75 which diverge upwardly and receive tapered brake shoes 76 which fit between the flanges of the guide member 41 and the surfaces 75 and are provided at their upper ends with hook portions 77 which engage with lugs 78 formed on top of the projecting portion 74 of the bracket 71. ,The projecting portion 74 of the bracket is also pro-v vided with a circular chamber 79 open at the bottom and having an opening 80 of reduced diameter which is open to the u per surface of the portion 74 and has threa ed therein a tubular member 81. Extendin through the tubular member 81 and cham r 79 is a rod 82 threaded at its upper end to receive an eye 83 and having a rectangular head, 84 in engagement with a follower 85 which engages beneath the brake shoes 76 and has an annular projection 86 adapted to slidably fit in the chamber 79. Surrounding the rod 82 and confined between the follower 85 and a follower 87 is acompression spring 88 designed to normally sustain the weight of a counterweight. Secured tothe eye 83 is a flexible member or cable 89 which passes over a sheave 90 journaled in a bracket 91 secured to the web of the guide 41 and projecting through an opening in'the web. The other end of the cable 89 is secured to a counterweight 92 adapted to travel between the flanges of the guide 41 and having flange portions 93 which engage behind flanges of-the angles 94 secured to the flanges of the guide 41 and retain the counterweight in the groove formed by the flanges of. the guide. Part of the counterweight 92 projects beyond the flanges of the guide 41 and will be engaged by a plate 95 which joins the flanges of the I angles 94 at their lower ends to retain the counterweight in the groove in case of failure of the cable 89. Mounted upon the end portions 7 of the truck frame are brackets 100 having upwardly extending annular portions 101 adapted to receive lungers 102 normally forced upwardly by tie springs 103 which surround the plungers 102 and the annular portions 101 and cushion the blow in case the elevator descends too far.

To the plates 53 and angles 54 are securedbrackets 104 having bosses 105 in which are mounted pins 106 while to one of the angles 51 forming the rectangular floor frame of the elevator frame proper are secured the hinge brackets 107. The pins 106 and hinge brackets 107 are adapted to secure to the elevator v platforms suitable for different classes of work, one of which, as shown in Figs. 11 to 13 inclusive, comprises a rec- 116 securedto the angle members 114 by gusset plates 1 17. The angle members 114 are provided with brackets 118 having bosses 119 adapted to receive the pins 106 while the rectan ular floor frame is provided with hinge brac ets 120 adapted to cooperate with the hinge brackets 107 in securing the platform to the elevator. The angle members 114 are also connected by angle bars 121 and 122v which are placed so as to have one flange horizontal and adapted to be engaged by angle members 123 and 124, respectively, each of which has a flange projecting inwardly and adapted to rest on the angle bars 121 and 122, respectively. The angle bars 123 and 124 are connected to the top and bottom edges of a holding-up plate 125 which extends beyond the angle bars 114 and has castings 126 secured thereto beyond the angle bars 114. Each casting 126 engages with guide brackets 127 and 128 carried by a side plate 129 which is secured to the vertical angle bars 113 and 114 at each side of the platform.

To the castings 126, outside the side plates 129, are pivoted links 130 and 131 which have their other ends pivotally connected to slide bars 132 adapted to travel in guide brackets 133 also-secured to the side plates 129. To

the slide bars 132 are also pivotally secured the links 134 and 135 which have theirother ends pivotally connected to brackets 136 secured toithe side plates 129. The pairs of links 130 and 134, and 131 and135 form with the slide bars 132 toggle links which are adapted to advance and retract the holdingup plate 125 as the slide bars 132 are raised and lowered.

Mounted on the platform floor and frame plates 112 and surrounding the openings therein are castings 137 in which are pivotally mounted solenoids 138 having armatures To the ends of the shaft 141 arese'cured cranks 143 connected to the slide bars 132. The solenoids are protected by casings 144; which are mounted on lanking 145 carried by the. angle bars 110. board panels 150 and 151 having circuit breakers 152 and 153 and controllers 154 and ecured to the angle bars 114 areswitch 155 thereon, the panel '150 with the circuit breaker 152 and the controller 154 thereon being devoted to the control of the elevator 'mot-or 60 while the panel 151 and the circuit breaker 153 and the controller 155 thereon are'devoted to the control of the carriage motor 12. Connections to the source of power and the motors are established by means of flexible cables (not shown) which extend between sockets on the carriage and elevator.

The solenoids 138 are operated by current taken from the same source of power and con trolled by means of a switch (not shown). The platform shown in Figs. 11 to 13 is'intended to serve as a riveting platform, the

holding-up plate being designed to hold a holding-up'tool 156 against the head of a rivet placed ina car side 157 while the other end of the rivet isheaded, the heated rivets being supplied from a suitable rivet heating device carried upon the platform of the elevator formed by the angles 51, there being in dicated, in dotted lines in Figs. 11 and 12 a suitable electric rivet heater for this purpose such as for example, as is shown in the J ohnson and Shelfer Patent, No. 1,452,511 of April 24, 1923. 1

Thus, it will be seen, the elevator frame proper and the working platform with its framlng are separate and separable struc tures, the latter of which may be attached or detached at will,-in the latter case, leaving the elevator frame undisturbed and unimpaired for operation in the elevator ways,

while carrying with it its own working equipment intact. Accordingly, the apparatus can be equipped for various kinds of work by a mere simple substitution or interchange of working platforms. As shown in'Figs. 11, 12, 13, and 14 and already mentioned, the

platforms may have the controlling means for the operation of the travelling carriage and of the elevator mounted thereon; so that when the platforms are interchanged for different kinds of work, the control may thereby be correspondingly changed.

In Figs. 14 and 15 is shown a platform adapted to be secured to the elevator and forming a. support for the operators and for a reaming or drilling device. The platform comprises a frame having vertical angle members 160 connected at their bottom ends by a plate 161 and an angle bar 162 to which are secured hinge brackets 163 adapted to cooperate with the hinge brackets 107 011 the elevator. To the lower ends of the vertical members 160 there is secured a platform floor frame of angle bars 165 connected to the vertical members 160 by gusset plates 166 and connccted by gusset plates 168 to angle members 167 which connect the outer edge of the frame to the vertical angle members 160. The angle members 167 and 160 are also connected by plates 169 to which are secured brackets 17 having bosses 171 which'receive the pins 106 which secure the platform to the elevator. The upper portions of the angle members 160 are connected by stiffening angles 17 2 securedto the angle members 160 by the gusset plates 173 while the upper ends of the angle members 160 are bent over as at-174 and have secured thereto an I-beam 17 5 which supports a traveller 176 having a tube 177 swlveled therein at 178. The traveller is lim-- it'ed in its movement on the I-beam 175 by the plates 179 which connect the I-beam 175 to. the angle members 160 and aid in supporting it. The tube 177 serves as a support for a reaming or drilling device 180 pivotally mounted in a frame 181 which is slidably mounted upon the tube 17 7 the weight of the frame and tool being counterwei 'hted by a weight 182 disposed within tube 17 7 and coni nected to the frame 181 by cables 183 which pass over sheaves 184 and are secured to the elevator and'carriage for use in connection with the particular platform, as already mentioned. Power for the operation of the reaming or drilling devices will be furnished from the same source of power through a flex ible connection (not shown). While but two types of platforms which may be secured to 4 the elevator have been shown it is to be understood that this invention is not to be limited to the particular platforms shown as platforms suitable for other kinds of work may I be attached. to the elevator, each platform being provided with controllers adapted to give the control of the carriage and elevator motor best suited for the kind of work the platform is designed for.

In Fig. 16 there is diagrammatically shown the connections for the control of the elevator and carriage motors, the flexible connections being omitted. The collectors 49 and 50 are connected through leads 200 and 201 to the circuit breakers 152 and 153'. The circuit breaker 152 is connected through a lead 202 to the controller 154 which is connected through leads 203 and 204 with the elevator motor 60 and through leads 205 and 206 with upper and lower limit switches 207 and208,re-

spectively, the limit switches beinggmnected throu h leads 209 and 210 with the motor. Circult breaker 152 is also connected through lead 211 .to the automatic electricallyoperated brake 212 in the casin 66 which-in turn is connected through the ead 213 with the elevator motor.. Circuit breaker 153 is connected through lead 214 with the controller 155 and through lead 215 with the motor, the controller being connected through the leads 216, 217 and 218 with the motor. 200 and 201 are also connected through leads 219 and 220 to a socket 221 which servesv to establish connection for the solenoids 138 of the reaming or drilling devices.

In' the operation of this device the operator on the platform controls the raising and lowering of the elevator through controller The leads 154 or 189 and controls the traveling backand forth of the carriage throu h the controller 155 or 190 to position the In the operation of the holding-up device with the platform in position and the heated rivet inserted in the rivet opening, the holding-u tool 156 will be placed against the rivet ead and the solenoids138 energized to operate the to gle levers, forcing forward the plate 125 an holding the tool 156 in engagement with the rivet head while the other end of the rivet is being headed. Upon the com letion of the heading of a rivet the solenoi s are deenergized allowing the plate to be retracted and the tool 156 withdrawn so that another rivet may be readily inserted.

In the lowering of the elevator, should the operator start to lower the elevator too suddenly or should the elevator supporting cable 62 break, permitting the sudden descent of the elevator, the descent'of the elevator will platform for .the work. It will be noted that in the case carry with'it the brackets 71 and portions 74 which project into the openings between the flanges of the guides 41. Owing to the inertia of the counterweights 92, the sudden movement downwardly of the portions 74 of the brackets 71 will compress the springs 88 before the counterweights 92 are placed in motion upwardly. Compression of the springs 88 will permit a relative movement of the brackets 71 and brake shoes 76, so that the brake shoes 76 will be forced outwardly into contact with the flanges of the guides 41by the inclined surfaces 75 causing a. braking ac- .the operators.

tion which will check the sudden descent of the elevator to such an extent that the springs 103 and buffers 102 may receive the elevator without danger of injuring the structure or It will be noted that raising the elevator will tend to withdraw the tapering projecting portions 74 from between the brake shoes 76, the brake shoes being held by their engagement with the flanges of the guides 41 so that after the brakes have been applied either because of careless operating or of a cable breaking, the brake shoes may be released by merely raising the elevator.

What is claimed is:

1. In a device of the class described, a carriage comprising a truck frame formed of a single casting and having spaced top and bottom members united at their ends in integral inverted channel structures, a motor mounted on the bottom member, wheels journaled in said channel structures and operatively connected to said motor, and upright elevator ways resting on said channel structures.

2 A device of the kind described, comprising in combination a truck frame, elevator ways secured to the truck frame, a frame movable in said ways, attaching means secured to the frame, a workingplatform freely attachable to and detachable from the frame at the attaching means thereof, and means on the platform for controlling the operation of the frame and the working platform.

3. A device of the kind described, comprising in combination a truck frame, means for operating said truck frame, elevator ways secured to the carriage, an elevator frame movable in said ways, means supported by the frame for operating said frame, a working platform freely attachable to and detachable from the elevator frame, and means on the platform for controlling the operation of the frame and said platform.

4:. In a device of the kind described, a carriage comprising a cast metal truck frame having spaced top and bottom members inte- -rally connected to each other at their ends to form inverted channel shaped wheel housings, wheels journaled in said housings, a motor mounted. on the bottom member for driving the wheels and upright elevator ways supported on said housings.

5. In a device of the kind described, a car riage comprising a truck frame having spaced top and bottom members integrally united at their ends to form inverted channel wheel housings, wheels journaled in said housings, a motor mounted on the bottom member for driving the wheels, upright elevator ways secured directly to said housings, an elevator mounted for movement in said ways and an operators platform freely attachable to and detachable from the elevator.

6. In a device of the kind described, a carriage comprising a unitary structure having spaced top and bottom members integrally united at their ends to form housings, wheels journaled in said housings, a motor on the bottom member for driving the wheels, elevator ways secured to the housings, an elevator movable in said ways, a motor on the elevator for operating the latter and an operators platform freely attachable to and detachable from the elevator.

7. In a device of the kind. described, a carriage comprising a unitary structure hav ing spaced top and bot-tom members integrally united at their ends to form inverted channel shaped wheel housings, wheels journalled in said housings, a motor on the bottom member for driving the wheels, elevator ways secured to the Wheel housings, an elevator movable in said ways, a motor on the elevator for operating the latter, an operators platform freely attachable to and detachable from the elevator and means on the platform for controlling the operation of the carriage and elevator.

8. In a device of the kind described, a carriage comprising a unitary structure havingspaced top and bottom membersintegrally united at their ends to form housings, wheels journaled in said housings, a motor on the bottom member for driving the wheels, elevator ways secured to the top member, an elevator movable in said ways, a motor on the elevator for operating the latter, an opera tors platform freely attachable to and detachable from the elevator, working mechanism on the platform, and means on the platform for controlling the operation of the carriage, the elevatorand the working mechanism as desired.-

9. In a device of the kind described, a truck frame comprising a unitary structure having the ends thereof formed into integral inverted channel shaped wheels housings, elevator ways secured directly to said wheel housings, an elevator frame movable in said ways, and aworking platform hingedly secured to the said frame to be detachable therefrom.

10. A device of the kind described comprising in combination portable elevator ways,

an elevator frame guided therein, means on' said frame for raising and lowering the latter, an operators platform hin edly secured to the lower end of the frame to e detachable therefrom, and releasable cooperating means on the platform and elevator frame for detachably securing the platform to the frame.

11. A device of the kind described comprising a truck frame formed of a single casting having spaced top and bottom members intermediate its ends to provide a motor receiving space, said members being united at their ends to form inverted channel shaped wheel housings, and elevator ways mounted upon the wheel housings and secured thereto. 12.. In a device of the kind described, a

carriage com risin .a portlon ereo a single casting having intermediate its ends formed into up er and lower members defining a motor receivingspace, said lower member bein cast with a motor supporting portion, an elevator ways secured to the ends of said casting.

13. In a device of the kind described, a carriage comprising a single truck frame casting havin a portion thereofinterme'diate its ends ormed into upper and lower members defining a motor receiving. space,

said lower member having a motor support cast therewith vertical castings connecting said upper and lower members, and elevator ways secured to the ends of said casting.

14. In a device of the kind described, a carriage comprising a truck frame having inverted channels formed at the ends thereof to define wheel housings, elevator ways 'restin upon and secured to said invertedchan nels, a hoist guided by said elevator ways, and means on the hoist for detachably securing a platform thereto,

15. Ina device of the kind described, a carriage comprising atruck frame formed of a single unit havln spaced ugper and lower members interme iate its en s to provide a motor receiving space therebetween, said upper and'lower members being united at their ends to form inverted channel wheel housings, elevator ways resting upon and sebured to said wheel housings, and a hoist mounted between the ways for reciprocation therein.

y In witness whereof I have'hereunto set my hand. 7 JOHN M. ROHLFING. I 

